On May 23, 2005, a small fire occurred in Reynolds Coliseum, sparked by a malfunctioning electrical transformer. It destroyed the Air Force ROTC cadet corps office and training room. The rest of the building suffered smoke damage. William Neal Reynolds (1863-1951) Coliseum is named after a top executive and major shareholder in the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, N.C., who donated money to the University to supplement professors’ salaries. Reynolds niece, Mary donated $100,000 for the completion of the coliseum. William Reynolds was one of R. J. Reynolds’s younger brothers. The idea for the coliseum, which replaced Thompson Theatre as the home of the NC State men’s basketball team, supposedly came from David Clark. The coliseum was built in 1949. The coliseum was home to the basketball team for nearly 50 years, including two NCAA champion teams. Reynolds Coliseum also provided a venue for large university and city events. Today it houses several NC State athletic teams, as well as NC State’s ROTC units. The men’s basketball team moved to the RBC Center in 2000.

Completed in 1949, the building with seating for 14,000 people is named after William Neal Reynolds, president of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company founded by his brother. Construction of Reynolds Coliseum was originally proposed by David Clark after 5,000 people from all over North Carolina were rained out of a Farmers' Week meeting in 1940. The coliseum was home to the basketball team for nearly 50 years, including two NCAA champion teams. Reynolds Coliseum also provides a venue for large university and city events. Today it houses several NC State athletic teams, as well as NC State's ROTC units. The men’s basketball team moved to the RBC Center in 2000.